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TOWER OF SONG

The Poetry & Metaphysics of the Moon

“Her antiquity in preceding and surviving succeeding tellurian generations: her nocturnal predominance: her satellitic dependence: her luminary reflection: her constancy under all her phases, rising and setting by her appointed times, waxing and waning: the forced invariability of her aspect: her indeterminate response to inaffirmative interrogation: her potency over effluent and refluent waters: her power to enamour, to mortify, to invest with beauty, to render insane, to incite to and aid delinquency: the tranquil inscrutability of her visage: the terribility of her isolated dominant resplendent propinquity: her omens of tempest and of calm: the stimulation of her light, her motion and her presence: the admonition of her craters, her arid seas, her silence: her splendour, when visible: her attraction, when invisible.” ― James Joyce, Ulysses

“It was lunar symbolism that enabled man to relate and connect such heterogeneous things as: birth, becoming, death, and resurection; the waters, plants, woman, fecundity, and immortality; the cosmic darkness, prenatal existence, and life after death, followed by the rebirth of the lunar type ('light coming out of darkness'); weaving, the symbol of the 'thread of life,' fate, temporality, and death; and yet others. In general most of the ideas of cycle, dualism, polarity, opposition, conflict, but also of reconciliation of contraries, of coincidentia oppositorum, were either discovered or clarified by virtue of lunar symbolism. We may even speak of a metaphysics of the moon, in the sense of a consistent system of 'truths' relating to the mode of being peculiar to living creatures, to everything in the cosmos that shares in life, that is, in becoming, growth and waning, death and resurrection.” ― Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion

Full Moon Night Memes

Lunar Phases Wheel

"Moonlight on the Yare" (Crome)

"Moonlight" (Cole)

Blue Moon Images

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Moon Goddesses

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Triple-Moon Goddess

Celebrating the Autumnal Season's Harvest MoonThe first full moon before the Autumnal Equinox

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Harvest Moon Etching (Palmer)

The Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the first Full Moon around the time of the Autumnal Equinox. The astronomers say that the Harvest Moon (in the astrological sign of the mystical Pisces) will be at full bloom on September 18th and into the 19th, when it will peak and be technically “full” at 4:12 a.m. PDT. (According to the definition of astronomers, the exact time of a full moon is where the moon lies directly opposite the Sun for the month.) The term “Harvest Moon” (sometimes called the “Corn Moon,” or the “Hunter’s Moon”) is used to describe the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumnal Equinox. (Before modern calendars, naming full moons was a way for ancient people to keep track of time.) The Harvest Moon is given this name because of the intense radiant light that spreads over the land allowing for the reaping of the remaining harvest after dusk into the night for several days. The Farmers’ Almanac notes that the annual celestial sight was dubbed the “Harvest Moon” because, before the invention of electricity, its bright moonlight allowed farmers in the Northern Hemisphere to harvest their late summer crops after Sunset for several hours more into the night.

Harvest Moon (Palmer 1833)

Harvest Moon (Palmer 1833)

Harvest Moon (Linnell 1858)

Harvest Moon (Inness 1891)

Luminary of the Autumn Night Sky (Blencowe)

The Astrology of the Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the first Full Moon after the Autumnal Equinox. The Harvest Moon is given this name because of the intense radiant light that spreads over the land allowing for the reaping of the remaining harvest after dusk into the night for several days (a few days before and after the Full Moon zenith when the moonlight is the brightest). In two years out of three, the Harvest Moon occurs in September, but in some years it occurs in October. The Harvest Moon this year occurred on September 29th at 10:19 p.m. (PDT) and continues into the first of October in the astrological sign of Aries, the zodiac sign of the Ram. Aries correlates with the head. Head Strong is a common description of this outwardly expressive and extroverted influence which brings dynamic mental energy particularly valuable for activities related to new types of thinking and new ideas. Moreover this year places added influence on new beginnings, new thoughts, and inventive ideas, because the Moon is in conjunction (in the same astrological sign of Aries) with the planet Uranus. Uranus is noted for influencing sudden transformations, surprising intuitions, and new life transitions—from outdated patterns of living to new lifestyles, life transforming experiences, and experimental ways of creative expression. Mental activities may be intense and useful for invention, reinvention, and to provide new directions in thought, behavior, and expression. For those seeking to activate these influences, a period of quiet contemplation accentuates and focuses these influences and enhances their beneficial qualities.

The Full Wolf Moon of January

January is the month of the Full Wolf Moon. The Full Wolf Moon occurs on Sunday evening, January 4, at 11:53 p.m. EST, 10:53 p.m. CST, 9:53 p.m. MST or 8:53 p.m. PST. This January 2015 full moon is the first full moon after the December 21 solstice. In North America, this full moon is also called the Old Moon or Moon After Yule. It appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside Native American villages. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.

Astronomically speaking, the moon is full at the moment that it’s most opposite the sun in its orbit (180o from the sun in celestial or ecliptic longitude). The astronomical event will reach its peak at 13:14 UTC when moon will be positioned directly between the Earth and the Sun. For general reference, however, we can say the moon is full all night tonight, lighting up the nighttime from dusk until dawn.

Astrologically speaking, this Full Wolf Moon is in the sign of Cancer. The signs of Cancer and Capricorn (where the sun is now) will be highlighted at the peak of this Full Moon. Typically the Full Moon in Cancer is associated with heightened emotions and sensitivity, which can be brought up under this lunation (so much so that you may feel like “howling at the moon”). The energy of Cancer will come out in full swing. What is so special about the astrological line up on this Full Wolf Moon is it triggers the Uranus-Pluto square and lands on the Cardinal Grand Cross sensitive degrees from last year. The Grand Cross will be peaking between the signs of Capricorn, Cancer, Aries and Libra. The Moon is opposite Pluto (which will make a show stopper appearance at the peak of this Full Moon), the sign of transformation; of death and rebirth — perfect for the new beginnings of the New Year.

Click on image for astrological chart of Full Wolf Moon

The "New Year & Rebirth In Archaic Myth & Ritual, Pt. 6" features a look at “The Moon & The Regeneration of Time.” It should be perfect to listen to on February 18th, because the night sky will feature a new moon, which will be a “supermoon” (the closest new supermoon of the year and the second-closest overall). The February supermoon will be new at 23:47 UTC (3:47 pm PST), and lunar perigee will occur less than 8 hours afterwards. (To listen, go to "Achived Musical Essays" page.)

Spring Equinox Full Moon 2014

Full Moon in Virgo, March 16, 2014 at 10:10 a.m. PDT

Virgo Goddess Full Moon

Full Moon in Virgo

Virgo Goddess Full Moon

The Full Moon In Virgo March 16, 2014 (10:10 am PDT/ 5:08 pm GMT.)

This full moon in March is called the "Full Worm Moon" by the Native American Algonquin tribe. At 26 degrees Virgo, this March Full Moon is conjunct the Fixed Star Labrum (Latin for lip), which is on the “lip” of the Cup constellation. Labrum is associated with psychic power and intelligence, and also with the Holy Grail.

This full moon is bringing lots of illumination of what has been in the shadows. Virgo is the sign of the Virgin, the one who knows seeks self-knowledge, to know oneself, both light and shadows. Virgo is the only constellation in the Zodiac that depicts a woman, and she is “Virgin” in the sense that the Goddess, as the Great Mother, created life all on her own, no partner required (i.e., a "virgin"). The Virgin archetype evolved to mean sovereign, an independent woman, often referring to priestesses who dedicated their lives to the Goddess. These priestesses were not “virgin” in the modern meaning of chaste or sexually inexperienced. Quite the opposite – these Virgins were the sacredly sexual temple priestesses who initiated adolescent girls and boys of the community through sexual rites.

Many cultural traditions recommend taking some time during each monthly Full Moon to contemplate and reflect upon the particular meaning of the zodiacal sign in which the Moon is residing. This month of March the Full Moon is aligned in the solar system in the zodiacal constellation of Virgo. “Virgo” or “Virgin” is from Latin and is defined as that which manifests as [our] original nature when we are being purely and essentially that which we truly are, compassionate, still, and conscious, without effort, without ego, without resistance.